Here’s a secret — I’m pretty forgetful. I really need to write things down immediately or they fly right out of my head. Between working as a news producer and managing this blog I have a lot to remember. I rely heavily on lists of course and programs like Asana, but sometimes things fall through the gaps. So I’m always looking for new technology to help me keep track of everything I need to remember.

What was it that Ernest Hemingway said? “Write drunk, edit sober.” Ok so that doesn’t perfectly make my point but it’s a good saying nevertheless.

Recently I was invited as a guest at the LadyDrinks Author Series Dinner in New York City for my book Listful Thinking. My friend and fellow newswoman Joya Dass runs the events and I’m thankful she asked me to participate. The room was filled with entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers, journalists and coaches. It was an excellent opportunity to discuss and share thoughts on productivity with other professionals. Even though I’m a “productivity expert” and I’m constantly seeking out new information to share. Read more

I’m generally a positive person, but I have my off days like everybody else.

When we’re feeling down or a little sluggish we tend to go a bit slower, and we’re more likely to put off important tasks. There’s nothing wrong with being sad from time to time – as we learned from the movie Inside Out (how cute are those characters?) But sometimes you need a quick pick me up to get your day going again.

Here are some ways I make my day better instantly:

1. Dance it out – Solo-dance parties can be the best, it’s all about you and the music. No one can judge your dance moves, no matter how crazy. So put on your favorite track and get moving.

2. Keep a gratitude journal – Remind yourself of what you’re thankful for! It’s easy to get caught up in things and forget at times, but many studies have found that those who are grateful for what they have feel a higher sense of happiness than those who do not. I make a habit of writing in my gratitude journal every night.Read more

If you follow my blog regularly you know that I’m a huge fan of outsourcing. I’ve given lots of ideas of what to get off your to-do list by giving it to someone else. Plus I’ve talked about some of the best new apps and websites to help with your outsourcing. The good and bad of some of these new startups is that some can’t hack it in the startup world.

Enter: Zirtual.

I’ve told a lot of people about this service and I even mentioned it in my book Listful Thinking — so I feel it’s only fair to give you the skinny and a few alternatives to keep on outsourcing.

Here’s What Happened

Outsourcing website Zirtual has closed its doors. Due to an accounting error almost 400 employees lost their jobs overnight. According to Fortune’s interview with the CEO Maren Kate Donovan — Zirtual outsourced some of its financial management to a Silicon Valley company which provided turnkey CFO support and services.

Unfortunately a payroll error went unnoticed and Zirtual projections had missed two additional payroll cycles. With hundreds of employees, that’s a lot of unaccounted money.

So they had to close up shop quick!

What Does This Mean For You?

Sadly Zirtual has not yet announced any plans for reimbursing customers who had not used all their hours. Startups.co aquired Zirtual after this snafu and they will most likely strike a deal with old Zirtual customers to keep their business. But I don’t know what that deal will be.

Even if you’re not a Zirtual customer — we can learn an important lesson from Zirtual. Just because you have outsourced a task doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check in on that task every once in a while.

Some Outsourcing Alternatives

Here are some replacement apps you can try:

Fancy Hands – Outsourcing is one of the best ways to get more done. Fancy Hands is like having your own virtual personal assistant. Assistants can do research for you, make appointments and even make annoying calls to customer service on your behalf. They just can’t do any physical tasks.

TaskRabbit.com – Similar to Fancy Hands, except they do physical tasks as well. TaskRabbit is great for crossing items off your list like putting together Ikea furniture or picking up groceries and laundry. Currently, TaskRabbit is available in 18 cities across the United States, as well as in London.

Alfred – This service specializes in taking care of your chores for you, which you know I’m all about. The cheapest package is a tidy-up service that costs $15 a week, including things like making the bed, doing the dishes and taking out the trash. If you want the option to ask for something special, like food delivery, you’ll shell out $22 bucks a week. Alfred is only currently available in New York City and Boston.